毫无例外 (háo wú lì wài) — without exception

Definition

A set phrase meaning 'without exception' — emphasizes that absolutely nothing is excluded from the stated rule. Pinyin is háo wú lì wài (the row's háo mó is a typo).

verb
without exception

Examples

  • 毫无例外。
    Zhè xiē xué shēng háo wú lì wài dōu tōng guò le kǎo shì.
    These students passed the exam without exception.
  • 毫无例外。
    Tā de dá àn háo wú lì wài quán shì zhèng què de.
    His answers are all correct without exception.
  • ，毫无例外。
    Měi nián chūn tiān, zhè ge huā yuán lǐ háo wú lì wài kāi mǎn xiān huā.
    Every spring, without exception, this garden is full of flowers.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

The written form 毫 is built from 高 and 毛.

Open 毫 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
列
列liè例lì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

例 is built from 亻, which relates to people, and 列, which gives the sound.

Open 例 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
卜卜bǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
月
月yuè外wài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

外 pairs 卜 with 月, a crescent moon; in its older form, the 卜 part had a horizontal bar extending outward, giving the sense of outside.

Open 外 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.